The Maui News

Enrollment at Hawaii’s public and charter schools for the 2022-2023 school year has decreased by 1.7 percent, a trend likely caused by the state’s declining birth rate over the last decade as well as families removing their students from public schools and relocating to Mainland states.

There were 171,600 students enrolled at the start of last year and then dropped to 168,634 students at the beginning of 2022, the Hawaii Department of Education announced last week.

HDOE schools, including state distance learning programs, decreased by 1.9 percent in enrollment over this past year, according to a news release. However, state charter schools have slightly increased this year, enrolling 12,116 students compared with 12,097 the previous year.

The largest HDOE public high schools include Campbell (3,039), Waipahu (2,661), Mililani (2,565), Farrington (2,238), and Moanalua (2,064).

The largest HDOE public Middle and intermediate schools include Maui Waena Intermediate (1,044), Mililani Middle (1,580), ‘Ewa Makai Middle (1,119), Waipahu Intermediate (1,084), and Kaimuki Middle (950).

The largest elementary schools include August Ahrens (1,164), ‘Ewa (1,086), Holomua (1,071), Keone’ula (915), and Waipahu (853).

The five smallest HDOE schools in the state include Ni’ihau High and Elementary (17), Maunaloa Elementary (46), the Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind (53), Kilohana Elementary (75), and Wai’hole Elementary (91), according to the news release.

Among the largest charter schools are Maui’s Kihei Charter School (693), Hawai’i Technology Academy (1,403), Kamaile Academy (949), the Hawai’i Academy of Arts and Sciences (683), and Kanu O Ka ‘Aina (612).